Transfer device for broken yarns

ABSTRACT

A TRANSFER DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING A BROKEN YARN TO A KNOTTING MECHANISM IN AN AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE HAVING GRIPPERS AUTOMATICALLY OPERATED DURING MOVEMENT OF THE DEVICE TOWARD A KNOTTING MECHANISM SO THAT THE BROKEN YARN END IS GRIPPED, CUT, AND DELIVERED TO THE KNOTTING MECHANISM.

United States Patent Inventor Premysl Kostelecky Liberec, Czechoslovakia Appl. No, 889,850 Filed Dec. 15, 1969 Patented June 28, 1971 Assignee Elitex Zavody Textilniho Strojirenstvi Liberec, Czechoslovakia Priority Dec. 13, 1968 Czechoslovakia Pr.-8470-68 TRANSFER DEVICE FOR BROKEN YARNS 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. C1 242/35.6R, 242/35.6E, 289/2 Int. Cl B65h 54/22, B6511 69/04, B65b 13/26 Field of Search 242/355 (R), 35.6 (R), 35.6 (E); 289/2 Primary Examiner- Stanley N. Gilreath Attorney- Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: A transfer device for transferring a broken yarn to a knotting mechanism in an automatic winding machine having grippers automatically operated during movement of the device toward a knotting mechanism so that the broken yarn end is gripped, cut, and delivered to the knotting mechanism.

TRANSFER DEVICE FOR BROKEN YARNS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known that a broken yarn end must be transferred to a knotting mechanism for being secured to the yarn. Most devices according to the prior art use suction for gripping and transferring broken yarn ends from the point of breakage, for example from a bobbin, to the knotting mechanism.

Yarn transfer devices of this type require a continuous drive of the exhauster providing the auction at a comparatively high cost. If no yarn breakage takes place. the continuous operation of the exhauster is useless. Furthermore, suction transfer devices are not completely reliable and depend, for example. on mounting the suction device precisely adjacent the point where yarn breakage is expected.

The dimensions of the suction tubes, and the efficiency of the exhauster are also factors which have to be considered.

Another yarn transfer device according to the prior art has movable arms carrying transfer means by which the yarn is gripped and delivered to the knotting mechanism.

In order to reliably function, sufficient contact of the yarn with a transferring means must be obtained so that the broken yarn end does not escape before it is delivered to the knotting mechanism. In apparatus of this type, a rather long yarn end has to be cut 08, which is wasted.

Since the position of the yarn in contact with the transferring means of the prior art cannot always be exactly determined, the yarn can be transferred satisfactorily only to a special knotting mechanism, but not to a yarn brake or similar device provided in an automatic winding machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overeomethe disadvantages of known yarn transfer devices for transferring broken yarns, and to provide a reliably operating mechanical yarn transfer device. In accordance with the invention, between the point where the yarn breakage takes place, and a knotting mechanism, for example, a periodically moving carrier is located which supports gripper means and a cutter to which the gripped yarn end is transported by the gripper means so that the broken yarn end is cut off before delivered to the knotting mechanism.

One embodiment of the invention comprises carrier means movable between a yarn-receiving position, an intermediate position, and a yarn delivery position, and being moved in the event of yarn breakage by drive means; gripper means mounted on the carrier means and being movable between an open position, a yarn-gripping position, and a cutting position cooperating with a cutting means on the carrier means; and control means connected with the gripper means for moving the same, and being operated by the carrier means during movement of the same. The effect of the control means, which preferably include a stationary cam and a cam follower means connected with the gripper means, is that the gripper means is in the open position for receiving a broken yarn when the carrier means is in the receiving position, is in the gripping position gripping the broken yarn when the carrier means is in the intermediate position, and moves to the cutting position before the carrier means arrives at the delivery position. The cutting means cuts the yarn off, and the yarn is delivered in the delivery position to a knotting mechanism, for example, where the control means moves the gripper means to the open position, whereupon the carrier means are returned to the yarnreceiving position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the carrier means includes a carrier arm on a drive shaft and having a transversely projecting guide arm on which the, gripper means are mounted. The gripper means include a first gripper member resiliently attached to the guide arm and a second gripper member mounted on the guide arm for movement, and connected with the cam follower of the control means.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING the gripper means are closed and the broken yarn end is cut off.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A drive shaft I carries the hub 2 of a carrier arm 3 whose free end has a horizontal transversely projecting hollow guide arm 30. A tubular abutment 4 is secured to guide arm 3a by screw 40 and has a central opening though which a gripper rod 7 passes. Gripper rod 7 has a T-shaped jaw 8 at one end, and is pivotally connected at the other end with an angular lever 9 mounted on carrier arm 10 for pivotal movement about a pivot 10. The other arm of angular lever 9 is pivotably connected with a rod 11 guided in portions 12 of carrier arm 3 and having at the lower end, a cam follower roller 13 in contact with the peripheral surface of a stationary cam 14 due to the action of a spring, not shown. When carrier means 2,3,3a is turned by drive shaft I about the axis of the same, cam follower roller I3 moves along the peripheral cam track of the stationary cam 14 and displaces angular lever 9 about pivot 10 so that gripper member 7,8 is moved between the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

A gripper tube 6 is inserted into the guide way formed by the hollow guide arm 3a, and abuts a spring 5 which surrounds the gripper rod 7 and abuts abutment 4. A stop screw 19 is threaded through the wall of the guide arm 30 and projects into a slot in gripper member 6 so that the same assumes the position shown in FIGS. I and 2 due to the action of spring 5, but can be moved toward the left as viewed in the drawing by compressing spring 5.

Gripper member 6 has an annular rim forming a jaw cooperating with jaw 8 of gripper member 7,8. The two gripper members 6 and 7,8 form in the open position shown in FIGS. I and 2, a gap for receiving a yarn 16 which is facilitated by a guiding projection 15 at the end of guide arm 30 whose slanted face is located adjacent the inner face of gripper jaw 8, as best seen in FIG. 2.

A cutter I7 is secured by screw 18 to guide arm 3a, and has a cutting edge portion located along the path of movement of gripper jaw 8 which is spaced from the cutting edge in the position of FIG. 2, but crosses the same in the position of FIG. 4 whereby a yarn I6 clamped between gripper member 6 and 7,8 is cut off while being gripped so that the portion of the yarn is cut off.

Gripper members 6 and 7,8 have the open position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for receiving a yarn 16. When gripper member 7,8 is moved to the left as viewed in the drawing, jaw 8 abuts the end of gripper member 6, clamping yarn I6. When gripper member 7,8 is further moved to the left as viewed in the drawing, gripper member 6 is displaced in the same direction while spring 5 resiliently yields, and yarn end 16 remains gripped. When both gripper members arrive in the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the gripped yarn 16 is removed across the cutting edge of cutter I7, and the yarn end 16 is cut off.

When a yarn breakage takes place during a winding or unwinding operation of yarn 16, an impulse is generated by a sensing means of conventional construction, and shaft 1 is operated to turn carrier means 2,3,3a,4. The end of the broken yarn l6 usually is located at a certain point, for example at a brake, or in the proximity of a bobbin.

Upon receiving the impulse of the sensing means, shaft 1 turns carrier means 2,3,3a,4 with the gripper means to a position in which the gripper means are located in the proximity of the breakage point. Cam I4 is designed in such a manner that the portion of the cam track thereof engaged by cam follower roller 13 urges gripper 7,8 through the linkage 11,9 to the open position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that the yarn 16 enters the gap between the jaws of the gripper members, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, sliding on the slanted face of guide projection 15, or on the slanted back of cutting means 17.

Turning of the carrier means toward the knotting mechanism brings cam follower 13 into engagement with another portion of cam 14 so that rod 1] displaces angular lever 9 until the jaw 8 ofgripper member 7,8 abuts the circular rim of the tubular gripper member 6 and clamps the yarn 16 in an intermediate position of the carrier means.

Further turning of the carrier means from the intermediate position toward the delivery position, brings cam follower 13 into engagement with a cam portion of cam 14 by which angular lever 9 and gripper 7,8 are further displaced, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Since jaw 8 already abuts the annular rim of gripper member 6, further movement of gripper member 7,8 to the left as viewed in the drawing, displaces gripper member 6 while spring is compressed. The gripped yarn 16 is moved across the cutting edge of cutter 17, as best seen in FIG. 4.

The carrier means now complete their angular movement and arrive in a delivery position in which the gripped and cutoff yarn I6 is engaged by the knotting mechanism, whereupon carrier means 2,3,4,3a is moved to a position in which cam follower 13 is controlled by the stationary cam 14 to move the linkage 11,9 to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 so that the device is ready for another yarn breakage.

Due to the fact that the yarn portion 16a is cut off, the transferred yarn 16 always has the same length so that it can be accurately engaged by the knotting mechanism, not shown. Cutoff yarn portion 160 may be removed by a suction device.

After the yarn has been introduced into the knotting mechanism, and yarn 16 has been released, carrier means 3,3a,4 turns in a continuous motion to its original position of rest.

it will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of yarn transfer devices differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a transfer device for transferring broken yarn ends to a knotting mechanism by automatically closing and opening gripper means, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Pat. is set forth in the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. Yarn transfer device, comprising, in combination, carrier means movable between a yarn receiving position, an intermediate position, and a yarn delivery position; drive means for moving said carrier means between said positions upon a yarn breakage; cutting means mounted on sad carrier means; gripper means mounted on said carrier means for movement with the same and for movement relative to the same between an open position, a yarn gripping position, and a cutting position cooperating with said cutting means; and control means connected with said gripper means for moving the same between said positions of the same, and being operated by said carrier means during movement of the same so that gripper means is in said carrier open position for receiving the broken yarn when said carrier means is in said receiving position, is in said gripping position gripping the broken yarn when said carrier means is in said intermediate position, and moves to said cutting position before said carrier means arrives at said delivery position so that said cutting means cuts the yarn off and the cut on yarn is delivered in said delivery position in which said control means move said gripper means to said open position.

2. Yarn transfer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means include a stationary cam, and a linkage mounted on said carrier means and including a cam follower cooperating with said cam during movement of said carrier means, said linkage being connected with said gripper means for moving the same between said positions of the same under the control of the cam portions engaged by said cam follower in said positions of said carrier means.

3. Yarn transfer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a shaft; wherein said carrier means includes a carrier arm carried by said shaft for angular movement between said positions of said shaft carrier means, and having a transversely projecting guide arm at the free end thereof; and wherein said gripper means are mounted on said guide arm, and include a first gripper member attached to said guide arm, and a second gripper member mounted on said guide arm for movement between said positions of said gripper means; and wherein said second gripper member is connected with said control means.

4. Yarn transfer device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said control means include a stationary cam, and a linkage mounted on said carrier means and including a cam follower cooperating with said cam during movement of said carrier means, said linkage being connected with said second gripper means for moving the same between said positions of the same under the control of the cam portions engaged by said cam follower in said positions of said carrier means.

5. Yarn transfer device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said cutting means is secured to said guide arm; and wherein said carrier means includes resilient means supporting said first gripper member for limited movement on said guide so that said second gripper member moving to said cutting position abuts said first gripper member in said gripping position and moves said first gripper member therewith to said cutting position.

6. Yarn transfer device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said guide arm is hollow; wherein said first gripper member is guided in said hollow guide arm for movement and has a guide way in which said second gripper member is mounted for movement between said positions thereof; and wherein said carrier means include an abutment in said guide way, said resilient means being a spring in said guide way abutting said abutment and said first gripper member and urging the latter toward said second gripper member, and an adjustable stop mounted on said guide arm and limiting movement of said first gripper member toward said second gripper member.

7. Yarn transfer device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control means include a stationary cam coaxial with said shaft, and a linkage mounted on said carrier means and including a cam follower cooperating with said cam during movement of said carrier means, said linkage being connected with said second gripper means for moving the same between said positions of the same under the control of the cam portions engaged by said cam follower in said positions of said carrier means.

8. Yarn transfer device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said linkage includes a rod mounted on said carrier arm for longitudinal movement; wherein said cam follower is a roller mounted at one end of said rod; said linkage further including tion; and wherein said guide arm of said carrier means has a guiding projection located adjacent said second jaw in said open position of said gripper means for guiding the yarn into said gap in said receiving position of said carrier means.

10. Yarn transfer device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said cutting means has a slanted surface located at the same side of said gap as said first jaw for guiding the yarn into said gap. 

